YORK, Pa. (Jan. 27, 2017)—Voith is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2017 and will be marking it with events at each of its 160 locations worldwide spanning more than 60 countries.

In North America, more than 3,000 employees will participate in employee celebrations and family events taking place at 18 different locations guided by the motto, “Welcome to the next 150 years.”

The following is a statement from Voith about the company’s anniversary:

On January 27, 1867, Friedrich Voith took over the locksmith’s workshop owned by his father, Johann Matthäus, which was located in Heidenheim on the river Brenz. That was the beginning of the family-owned company’s global success story.

Today, Voith has grown into a global technology leader that now has around 19,000 employees and four group divisions including Hydro, Turbo, Paper and Digital Solutions. The Voith group is active in five markets: Energy, Oil & Gas, Paper, Raw Materials, and Transport & Automotive. The company’s employees have made Voith a technological leader in many fields of industry, with approximately 4,000 active patents.

“In the anniversary year, we are proud to honor the people who have made and continue to make significant contributions to Voith’s success: our employees,” says Bob Gallo, North American regional sponsor for the 150th celebration and President and CEO of Voith Hydro, U.S.

The events for employees and their families will focus on looking forward to the next 150 years while also honoring the history of Voith, which includes a strong focus on corporate leadership and stewardship.

“Voith has been and is a good neighbor at all its locations around the world,” according to Dr. Hubert Lienhard, President and CEO of Voith. “During the anniversary year, it is important to us to give something back to the communities and locations that Voith has called home, in some cases for many decades.”

Each of the locations will host their own celebration and also identify a local “good cause” that will emphasize Voith’s support for education, culture, social affairs and sporting activities. With the adage “150 Good Causes” in mind, local Voith employees will volunteer their time and resources.